There is a question here that isn't specifically about programming -- it's about algorithms. I think that it's not a good question for SO (although I may be wrong, but that isn't relevant here), so I want to flag it for moderator attention so that someone more experienced can decide the issue. However, I immediately got a message telling me that questions with an active bounty can't be closed.

So, my question to you, is why can't I flag this question?

I realize that promoting bounties seems to be important to some people (though I can't for the life of my understand why), and I can accept that. However, it seems that simply adding a bounty to a question protects it. If this is right, then it seems a quite dangerous policy.

If you got a message about closing questions from the flag link, than that's probably a bug. flagging and closing are different kinds of actions
– Sam I amMay 28 '14 at 22:53

Yeah, thanks. I wasn't specifically asking about my decision to flag -- I realise that it's questionable in and of itself. I was asking why that decision has been taken away from me?
– Engineer DolleryMay 28 '14 at 22:54

Whenever I see a question with a bounty that should be closed, I flag it because we can't vote to close them while the bounty is on. Never had a problem raising a flag.
– LouisMay 28 '14 at 22:54

@SamIam Some ago, we were joking in chat about a competition to see who could post the worst question that stays open long enough to be bountied.
– MysticialMay 28 '14 at 22:55

@SamIam You can't cast a "recommend closure" flag on a bountied question as you run into the same problem. You'd have to cast an "other" flag and explain.
– animuson♦May 28 '14 at 22:56

@SamIam -- dangerous because if it were not possible to flag or close a bountied question then evil f*kers could post bile filled hateful crap here and the community could not remove it.
– Engineer DolleryMay 28 '14 at 23:00

@Mysticial - I don't actually think that this is an algorithmic question, even though it's been posed as one (sort of). I think it's a question that happens to have algorithmic solutions but which could possibly be answered quicker and more accurately on a maths site.
– Engineer DolleryMay 28 '14 at 23:02

@EngineerDollery deletion is also a different action than closing
– Sam I amMay 28 '14 at 23:04

1 Answer
1

You can't use a close vote or close flag against a question with a bounty (for reasons that I'm too tired to look up now), but you can use other types of flags on these questions.

If you come across a very clearly off topic or otherwise terrible question that is entirely being propped up by a bounty, you can use an "other" flag and describe why the bounty should be removed so the question could be closed. Moderators have the ability to refund bounties and make the question able to be closed again.

However, I should caution that we only do this in the most obvious of cases, and when the bounty was issued also plays into this. If the question is borderline or otherwise wouldn't be something I'd immediately close on sight, I tend to let the bounty run its course and have the community vote on it after that. Similarly, if a bounty has existed on a question for more than a day or so, and people have started answering the question as a result of the bounty being there, I become even more hesitant to remove it.

So yes, we can deal with people using bounties to game the close system if you use an "other" flag to warn us, but it needs to be a clear case of that before we step in. Spam and offensive flags are also viable against a bountied question, but I don't know that I've ever seen a justified one of those cast against such a question.

The problem with this is that Other flags sometimes get really slow response times on SO. I've flagged a question with a fresh bounty two weeks ago. Since then, the question got swiftly answered, the bounty was awarded, and I can vote to close now (after the fact), and my flag is still active.
– John DvorakMay 29 '14 at 4:12

1

It's possibly worth mentioning that if you encounter a question with a bounty which is on topic but should be closed for other reasons, like this one, you can just downvote it telling the author why. After all: A bounty isn't a replacement for providing a a good question.
– AD7sixMay 29 '14 at 8:18

@JanDvorak - To be honest, we triage these flags in order of importance and have been lightly staffed recently due to vacations, etc. I didn't see an immediate need to remove that bounty and close the question, so I moved on to other higher-priority items. Now the question can be voted on by the community.
– Brad Larson♦May 29 '14 at 15:37